Motor-truck



(No Model.)

P. M. LEGHNER. MOTOR TRUCK.

No. 451,942. Patented May 1-2, 1891.

WITNESSES: llVVE/VTOI? K rmza's /W 290712122 flq B? L 29 OGQM Arm/mm UNITED STATES FRANCIS M. LEOHNER,

MOTOR- on COLUMBUS, onro. r

TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,942, dated May 12, 1891.

Serial No. 359,696. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRAN 01s M. LECHNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Motor-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of motor-trucks, and has particular relation to that class of trucks or cars employed in supporting and moving electric motors for mining-machines.

The objects of my invention are to provide a motor car or truck with improved means for driving the same forward or backward to regulate the tension of the mining-machine operating rope or belting, to admit of the driving mechanism being so set as to prevent its interference with the free transportation of the car to new locations, to provide said truck or car with an improved reel for taking up or letting out the cables connecting the motor and dynamo without breaking the electrical current, and to accomplish these objects without unusual expense or complication.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved truck, showing a motor thereon. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the motor removed.- Fig. 3 is a side elevation in detail of one end of thereel. Fig. 4 is a section on line as x of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of one of the ground-wheels with the worm-wheel and means for operating it; and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View on line y y of Fig. 1.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

a represents a flat bed or truck-body which is supported upon ground or truck wheels I).

0 represent the axles or transverse shafts, which,a sshown,aresupportedinsuitablebearings 0, depending from the under side of the bed a. Each end of each of these axles has fixed thereon on the outer side of the bed a a worm gear-wheel (Z, said worm-wheel having formed therewith and projecting from its outer side a short cylindrical neck or arm 6, the outer end of which is bolted or otherwise secured to the inner face of the ground-wheel b. The wheels b and d and the connecting-neck 6 may, however, be formed of one piece of metal, if. desired, the object being to throw thetwo wheels far enough apart to prevent the worm from touching the ground-wheel when in engagement with the worm-Wheel.

As shown in the drawings, the axles 0 extend transversely beneath the bed on opposite sides of the center of the length of the latter.

f represents a horizontal shaft, which is journaled in suitable bearings f, which project upwardly from the upper side or the bed adjoining one side' thereof, and which support said shaft f above the worm gear-Wheels, as shown. Carried by the shaft f at such points as to normally engage with the wormgear 01 are Worm-wheels g. Projecting upwardly from the side of the bed a at a point in rear of the worm-wheel is an intermediate shaft-bearing piece 72., through which the shaft f passes loosely. Fixed on said shaft and normally abutting against the rear side of said intermediate bearing-piece is an enlargement or collar 70. r

i represents a clip or locking-piece, which consists of a short fiat plate provided at each end with two downwardly-extending fingers, said locking-clip being adapted to lock the shaft f against horizontal movement by dropping said clip downward until its fingers embrace opposite sides of the shaft f, and the inner sides of said fingers abut against the outer sides of the collar and the head of the bearing-piece h. The rear end of the shaft f is provided, as shown, with a suitable crankhandle.

' m represents a reel base-block, which is supported upon the rear end portion of the truck-bed, and which, as shown, is provided at each end with an upwardly-extending standard m. The upper end of each of these standards is slotted, as shown, to form aboaring for the spindle of a reel-shaft n. This reel-shaft is provided with end disks n and a central dividing disk 77.

n represent fiat contact-rings, one of which is secured to the outer side of each of the disks 12- about the center thereof. The outer end of each of the spindles n of the shaft 72 extends through a spindle-hole formed in the center of the length of a horizontal bar or arm or", which is secured to the outer side of the standard on. Each of the projecting ends of each of these arms or has secured thereto the upper end of a spring contact-strip 0, said contact strip extending downwardly and thence inwardly and upwardly in an approximately U-shaped form, and having its inner end portion in frictional contact with the surface of the ring 02 One of the ontwardly-projectin g ends of the shaft-spindle is provided with a crankhandle 19.

q q represent the cables or electric conductors, which are coiled, as shown, upon the reel-shaft n, on opposite sides of the dividingdisk a and which lead from said reel to the dynamo or supply-line. These cables are con nected with the contact-rings n by having their ends passing through the disks n, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

S represents a suitable electric motor, which is supported, as shown, upon the central portion of the truck, and with which an electric connection is made from the cables qby means of motor-wires to, which connect with contact-strips 0 at opposite ends of the reel, as shown.

3 represents the motorshaft,which, through its pinion 3 transmits motion toa gear-wheel the latter being carried by a shaft journaled in horizontal bearings s at the forward portion of the machine. This shaft carries on its forward end a beveled gear-wheel 25, which transmits motion to a vertical pivoted or journaled shaft '6 by gearing with a gearwheel i thereon. The shaft i also carries, as shown, the mining-machine drive-wheel 75 which has its peripher grooved to receive the driving-rope The operation of the improvements herein shown and described is substantially as follows: It being desired to loosen the tension of the driving-rope t by decreasing the distance between the mining-machine and the truck, the latter is moved forward the desired distance by rotating the shaftf through the operation of its handle Z. This rotation of the shaft f will, through the meshing of the worm g and the worm-gear 61, result in transmitting motion to the latter and to the ground-wheels b, with which said Worm-gears are connected, thus causing the desired movement of the truck. It is obvious that the direction in which the truck is moved depends upon the direction in which the shaft f is rotated; but in case the truck is driven forward it will be seen that the tension of the operating or power rope t will be decreased, thus admitting of any desired forward movement of the mining-machine and of the adjustment of the tension of its rope to increase or decrease its bindingpower on the peripheries of both the truck and mining-machine drive-wheels. In case it is desired to move the truck from one point to another in a mine, the locking-clip 1' may be withdrawn from its embrace of the bearing-head h and collar and the shaft f driven by proper rotation a sufficient distance to the rear to throw the worms g and wormg'ears (Z out of engagement. The truck may then be pushed or otherwise moved upon its ground-wheels to the desired point.

During any of the above-described for ward movements of the truck the cable (1 will gradually unwind from its reel-shaft 'n, and in case of a rearward movement of the truck the slack caused in said cables may be taken up from said reel-shaft by the forward rotation of the latter. As the forward and backward adjustment of the truck is frequently accomplished while the mining-machine is in operation, it is desirable that the circuit between the dynamo and motor be kept closed, and thus obviate the necessity of stopping the machine during this movement or breaking the circuit. This object is attained through the herein-described connection of the cables and contact-rings a the continuous frictional contact of the contactstrips 0, and said contact-rings and the connection of said contact-strips with the motor.

From the construction herein shown and described, it will be seen that the truck may be moved forward or backward, as desired, to increase or decrease the tension of the rope 25 and that during these movements the operation of the machine is in no Way retarded by the breaking of the current in taking up or letting out the cable-conductors.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a motor-truck for mining-machines, the combination, with the truck-body, its axles and ground-wheels, and worm gearwheels connected with said ground-wheels, of loosely-journaled shaft f, worms g thereon, which normally mesh with worm-gears d, an intermediate shaft-bearin g piece It, a fixed collar on said shaft, and a detachable clip t, embracing said collar and an intermediate bearing-head, substantially as described.

2. In a motor-truck, the combination, with the body a, a motor thereon, and a machine drive-wheel driven from said motor, of a reelshaft 11, journaled upon said truck and having wound thereon the conductors q, a dividing-disk a between the conductors, reeldisks a, disk contact-rings a with which said conductors ends are connected, springstrips 0, supported in frictional contact with the rings n and wires t, connecting the motor and said spring-strips, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a motor-truck for mining-machines, of a motor and tool-opcrating mechanism mounted thereon, slotted standards secured to the truck, a horizontal bar on each standard, having a spindle-hole, a shaft in the standards, having a spindle projecting through each of the spindle-holes of the bars, disks on the shaft, the outer ones of which are each provided with a contactring, a contact-spring connected with each end of the bar and having its inner end in engagement with the ring on the disk at that contact between the motor and the conductend of the shaft, a wire for connecting each ors, substantially as described.

barwith the motor, electric conductors wound 1 7 T T upon the shaft with their ends in ontact hhAk 018 LECHB with the rings on the disks, and means for In presence of rotating the shaft to take up or pay out the W. E. MOLING,

conductors without breaking the electrical FRANK N. SLADE 

